Which sociodemographic and clinical characteristics are associated with recurrent incarcerations in adult male people who are incarcerated? A cross-sectional study

Although risk factors for recidivism were extensively studied, re-incarcerations still account for a disproportionate amount of overall service use and cost. Therefore, the main objectives of the study were (1) to estimate the prevalence of re-incarcerations in a sample of male incarcerated people and (2) to verify if some socio-demographic and clinical features including impulsivity can be risk factors of re-incarceration. We conducted a cross-sectional study recruiting 479 newly arrived incarcerated people in an Italian detention centre, between 2018 and 2022. The incarcerated individuals were interviewed to collect clinical information. Impulsivity was assessed by the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11). A total of 479 consecutive male incarcerated people was included. Two hundred and seventy-six of them (57.6%) had previously been incarcerated. Logistic regression analysis showed that having higher age, to be married or in relationship, to have low-medium level of education, housing instability, low or no income, cocaine use disorder in the last year and a history of non-suicidal self-injuries increased the likelihood of recurrent incarcerations. Moreover, re-incarceration was associated with higher rate of personality disorders and higher scores on attentional and motor impulsivity. Reintegration programs should address some risk factors associated with re-incarceration and promote social rehabilitation among incarcerated individuals.